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Minutes
City Of Edina, Minnesota
Park Board
Edina City Hall, Council Chambers
November 7, 2016
I. Call To Order
Chair McCormick called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
II. Roll Call
Answering roll call were Chair McCormick, Members Gieseke, Strother, Good, Nelson,
McAwley, Miller and Student Members Gustafson and Hulbert. Absent: Members Dahlien,
Mohs and Meyer. Staff present: Staff Liaison Ann Kattreh, Administrative Support Specialist
Janet Canton, Recreation Supervisor Amanda Clarke, Recreation Supervisor Donna Tilsner,
Braemar Golf Course Maintenance Superintendent Tom Swenson, Centennial Lakes General
Manager Tom Shirley, Edinborough Park and Edina Aquatic Center General Manager Patty
McGrath and Braemar Arena and Field General Manager Chad Eischens
III. Approval Of Meeting Agenda
Motion made by Good to approve the meeting agenda. Motion seconded by Nelson.
Motion carried.
IV. Approval Of Meeting Minutes
Motion made by Nelson to approve the Oct. 10, 2016 minutes. Motion seconded by
Strother. Motion carried.
V. Community Comment
None
VI. Reports/Recommendations
A. Proposed 2017 Parks & Recreation Fees
Staff Liaison Kattreh introduced the following staff:
Patty McGrath, General Manager for Edinborough Park/Edina Aquatic Center
Amanda Clarke – Recreation Supervisor
Tom Swenson – Maintenance Superintendent for Braemar Golf Course
Tom Shirley – General Manager for Centennial Lakes
Chad Eischens – General Manager for Braemar Arena and Field
Donna Tilsner – Recreation Supervisor for the Edina Senior Center
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Staff Liaison Kattreh went over the proposed 2017 Parks & Recreation fees.
Park Board members asked questions of staff and had discussions.
Motion by Good to approve the recommended Parks & Recreation program fees for
2017. Motion seconded by Nelson.
Motion carried.
B. Aquatic Center Improvements Update
General Manager of Edinborough Park/Edina Aquatic Center Patty McGrath gave a power point
presentation and update on the Edina Aquatic Center facility improvements. She pointed out
there will be both amenity improvements and facility improvements. She explained the project,
cost and financing and went through the tentative timeline.
Park Board members asked questions and had discussions.
C. Ready-Set-Connect Program
Recreation Supervisor Amanda Clarke reported on the Edina Community Foundation’s Ready-
Set-Connect Program that the city is joining starting Jan. 1, 2017. She explained how the current
grant-in-aid program works and how the new Ready-Set-Connect Program works. The idea is to
make the registration process as easy as possible which will allow a person/family to only need
to apply once in order to be eligible for scholarships with affiliated groups. Each of the affiliated
groups can set their own standards for what they would like to offer.
Park Board members asked questions and had discussions.
D. Start Doing, Stop Doing, Keep Doing Discussion
Chair McCormick gave a recap of the work they did at their October meeting regarding what
they would like to continue doing, start doing and stop doing and asked if anyone wanted to
add anything to the list.
Chair McCormick reported at their December meeting they will discuss this more in depth and
determine what they would like to see prioritized and what they would like to take action on.
Park Board members had a discussion.
E. Work Plan Updates
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Member McAwley reported on the Oct. 6, 2016 meeting she attended for the Arden Park
Natural Resource Plan. She noted the next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 10. They
received a lot of good feedback from the community.
Member Strother reported the Arden Park Natural Resource Plan will be brought to the
Park Board once they have an idea of the concept and move to the planning stages.
Staff Liaison Kattreh reported they have started to plan the master planning process for
Fred Richards Park. Recently some members of the Park Board as well as several city staff
from different departments walked the park. The intention was to bring this variety of
resources to the table and give them the opportunity to bring up any concerns or known
issues with the site to the consultants. Currently they are gathering all of the information
so they can formally begin the planning process.
Park Board members asked questions and had discussions.
Member Miller reported there was a meeting with the vendor, Sign Crafters, on Oct. 20,
2016. He reported the two most important things that are happening right now are a
survey and inventory and the second part is the design; what do we want the signs to look
like? He encouraged the Park Board to start thinking about it and start looking at signs all
over. He noted any ideas or pictures should be sent to Assistant Parks & Recreation
Director Faus who will be the consolidator of the ideas.
The Park Board asked questions and had discussions.
VII. Correspondence and Petitions
Chair McCormick acknowledged the Park Board’s receipt of various correspondences.
VIII. Chair and Member Comments
Chair McCormick informed the Park Board they are looking at holding the December Park
Board meeting at a different venue; she would like to recognize the Park Board for all of their
work this year.
Member Nelson recognized and thanked Assistant Parks & Recreation Director Faus for
doing such a great job with the inclusive playground at Rosland Park. Everyone is very
excited about it.
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Member Good reported he has been over to the Pickleball courts quite a bit and from what
he has heard they get a lot of activity; it has been a great addition. He thinks residents will be
asking for more of them.
IX. Staff Comments
Staff Liaison Kattreh made the following comments:
• She thanked Members Nelson and McAwley for their work on Rosland Park
• Oct. 28 was the Not So Scary Halloween Party at Edinborough Park; it was well
attended with 187 paid admissions and over 550 people in attendance
• They are in the process of hiring a maintenance operations coordinator at
Edinborough Park
• Braemar Golf Course currently has the Northwood’s Boutique which will be there from
Oct. 28 through Nov. 12
• The Golf Dome opened on Nov. 1
• There will be a new Junior Golf program at the Golf Dome starting in November
• Golf Course architect Richard Mandell will be in town on Nov. 10
• Golf Course construction is moving along very well; with the beautiful weather they
are ahead of schedule
• Braemar Golf Course will be having a holiday open house on Dec. 7
• Braemar Golf Course will start their indoor bean bag league in January
• Recreation Supervisors Clarke and Boettcher along with Assistant Parks & Recreation
Director Faus have been working really hard on the 2017 Spring/Summer Activities
Directory
• The Art Center has also been working really hard on the 2017 Spring/Summer
Activities Directory; the Art Center will be offering over 83 summers camps in the
upcoming directory
• Centennial Lakes Park is wrapping up their building rental season; it will take
approximately two weeks to prepare the Hughes Pavilion as a warming house with a
tentative opening skating date of Dec. 16
• Braemar Field is officially open as of today
• The Backyard Rink has been shut down for the last nine days because of the warm
temperatures; hopefully they will reopen soon
• Indoor hockey will start later this month; the first High School game is Nov. 11 and the
first EHA tournament is over Thanksgiving weekend
• Breakfast with Santa at Braemar Golf Course will be held on Dec. 10
• Santa Land at Braemar Arena will be held on Dec. 17
• Family New Year’s Eve Party at Edinborough will be held on Dec. 31
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• Reminder from last month: Donna Tilsner is retiring and her last day will be Nov. 30
• Over 140 applications were received for the Recreation Supervisor job at the Senior
Center and they have narrowed it down to four candidates
• The Parks & Recreation Department are currently working on the 2017 Department
Work Plan and will have that done within the next two weeks
X. Adjournment
Motion made by Good to adjourn the Nov. 7, 2016 meeting at 8:32 p.m. Motion seconded by Nelson.
Motion carried.
Approved by Council 12/6/16
Board/Commission: Park Board
2017 Annual Work Plan
Initiative
1
Council Charge
1 2 3 4
Target Completion
Date
Budget Required
(Staff Liaison)
Staff Support Required
(Staff Liaison)
New Initiative Continued Initiative Ongoing Responsibility Dec. 2017 $0 Ann Kattreh – 40 hours
Arden Park Natural Resource Plan
Progress Report:
Initiative
2
Council Charge
1 2 3 4
Target Completion
Date
Budget Required
(Staff Liaison)
Staff Support Required
(Staff Liaison)
New Initiative Continued Initiative Ongoing Responsibility Dec. 2017 $0 Ann Kattreh – 160 hours, Susan
Faus, 100 hours & Janet Canton - 40
hours, Park Maintenance – 20 hours Braemar Park Master Plan
Progress Report:
Initiative
3
Council Charge
1 2 3 4
Target Completion
Date
Budget Required
(Staff Liaison)
Staff Support Required
(Staff Liaison)
New Initiative Continued Initiative Ongoing Responsibility Oct. 2017 $0 Ann Kattreh – 160 hours, Susan
Faus, 100 hours & Janet Canton - 40
hours, Park Maintenance – 20 hours Fred Richards Master Plan
Progress Report:
Initiative
4
Council Charge
1 2 3 4
Target Completion
Date
Budget Required
(Staff Liaison)
Staff Support Required
(Staff Liaison)
New Initiative Continued Initiative Ongoing Responsibility July 2017 $0 Susan Faus – 120 hours, Janet
Canton – 40 hours, Ann Kattreh – 40
hours Park Signage Replacement Project
Progress Report:
Initiative
5
Council Charge
1 2 3 4
Target Completion
Date
Budget Required
(Staff Liaison)
Staff Support Required
(Staff Liaison)
Approved by Council 12/6/16
New Initiative Continued Initiative Ongoing Responsibility December 2017 $0
Assist as requested with development of the City’s new
Comprehensive Guide Plan.
Progress Report:
Initiative
6
Council Charge
1 2 3 4
Target Completion
Date
Budget Required
(Staff Liaison)
Staff Support Required
(Staff Liaison)
New Initiative Continued Initiative Ongoing Responsibility December 2017 $0
Weber Woods Master Plan [Partner with St. Louis Park]
Progress Report:
Proposed Month for Joint Work Session (one time per year, up to 60 minutes): April
Memory Garden Committee Recommendations
November 7, 2016
As revised and edited by Liz Genovese and Joan Scott Nov. 7, 2016
Why redesign the Memory Garden? The Memory Garden is a garden that should
invite you to come and reflect and to give you comfort. As any garden, it needs to
be maintained, the current garden has not been overhauled for many years and
needs much attention. The whole sense of place needs to be refreshed as a
tribute to our Members and as a place for the people of the Community.
The Current Garden Status is:
• Trees and shrubs have been lost to disease: Austrian Pine, Redbud,
Magnolias, azaleas, etc.
• Viburnum and possibly some burning bush have overgrown the space.
• The Garden has lost its design/character. There is an opportunity now to
create a wonderful space for the Community of Edina as well as others who
want to enjoy this Garden spot. We think it can be another example of the
horticultural nature of Arneson as envisioned by Morton and Katherine
Arneson.
• The closeness of the peony plants to each other does not allow for
appreciation of the different types of peonies. This is a valued horticultural
collection that can be accommodated beautifully among other plantings.
A Redesign Memory Garden would provide:
• Redesign would include lower maintenance.
• Future giving to the Garden would be used immediately and honor the
memory of past garden members. The Memory Garden Fund will be the
first to be used.
• Redesign would allow for greater use of this Garden area for small
weddings and ceremonies (which is already happening!) This would be a
possible additional rental opportunity separate from the Gazebo.
• This Garden in Arneson Acres Park is already a setting for photo-shoots,
both private and professional. Many people DO know that it is there and
are drawn to the area even with the lack of paths or sidewalks. Maybe this
is part of the charm.
Why hire a landscape architect? The members of our Committee, through our
reading and gathering ideas, realized that we needed some direction. The scope
of renewing the Memory Garden is greater than just a new flower bed and a few
plantings here and there. This led us to a search for landscape architects and
landscape contractors.
A landscape architect can envision the garden space as a whole and as it exists in
relation to the whole Park.
The Process:
• We talked with two landscape contractors.
The first contractor wanted to do the work but not design the space.
The second gave us a very simple and inadequate design for the space.
• We interviewed three landscape architects: two on recommendation from
Damon/Farber, Simonet Design, Cunningham design(Fitzpatrick). Tsuke
Studio.
• All professionals and Ann Kattreh received written information from the
EGC Committee outlining our guidelines including our wants and concerns.
• We gave the contractors and the architects a tour of the garden and the
history of the garden and what we hoped to change.
• We subsequently met two times with Ann Kattreh, Director of Parks and
Recreation for the City. The purpose of these meetings was:
a) to be sure that the Clubs could redesign the Garden.
b) to keep her informed of our progress.
The Committee’s Recommendation:
• We have unanimously chosen Tsuke Studio, Tony Ransom-Siebenaler as the
landscape architect for our project.
The Cost of design budget, Need for construction budget and target dates:
• $11,500.00 for the design, construction documentation and work
observation to Tsuke Studio. This fee covers for Tony, the architect, to
compile the document with specifications for the construction work and his
observation of the progression of the job. This fee does not include the
construction or the plant costs.
• EGC has the money to fund this stage of the project. EGC could accept and
fund this proposal by its deadline of December 31, 2016.
• Additional funding from EGC funds is available to cover the construction
and plant costs in stages beginning this spring.
• The Garden Clubs will be asked to contribute to the Memory Garden
Construction Fund.
• Additional funding will be sought through in kind materials, seeding some
of the plants in the greenhouse and other fundraising efforts.
The Next Steps:
• December 13th present our plan and a design choice, Tsuke Studio, at the
Park Board Meeting.
• City Council’s December 20th meeting
Accept the donation from the EGC for the Tsuke Studio fee.
Recognize it as a gift from EGC for $11,500. This would allow the City
to sign a contract with Tsuke Studio to design the garden.
• Informational meetings this winter with the architectural team from Tsuke
Studio for our Committee and Garden Club members.
• Relocate the valued peony collection both in the Memory Garden and to a
suitable site near-by where the peonies will flourish. Each plant will be
clearly labeled to educate the community on the types of peonies.
The Committee Requests:
• The financial commitment from all of the garden clubs.
• Support in developing this garden over time as funding and construction
phases proceed.
• Affirm that EGC is undertaking this project to enhance the Park for the
community and to demonstrate to the City that Arneson Park is a gem of a
Park.
Respectfully Submitted this November 7, 2016,
Members of the Memory Garden Committee,
Liz Genovese and Karen Platt, Co-Chairs.
Memory Garden Presentation
From Liz Genovese
Recommendation
The Memory garden Committee recommends hiring Tsuke Studio, Tony Ransom
Siebenaler to renovate the Memory Garden.
Edina Garden Council past support for Arneson Acres Park.
Year Project Cost
1986 First Fountain $17,000
1996 Gabezo
$49,789
2004-2005 Second Fountain $51,138
2007 70th St. Sprinkler system $7,024
2015 Lily and Reserve fences $12,995
The need to renovate the Memory Garden
• To honor our commitment to deceased members whose family donated
funds to this garden. (The amount currently: $3,900+).
• We have the money to pay for a landscape design that would appropriately
situate the peony collection and add planting and sitting areas to make it a
reflective space.
• The project demonstrates to the City that EGC seriously supports the Park.
Garden Maintenance
• The garden will be designed for low maintenance.
• Maintenance will be the responsibility of the City of Edina.
Time frame and budget
• The committee presents Tsuke Studio design proposal at the Dec. 13 Edina
City Park Board meeting. We have the support of Ann Kattreh.
• The Design Cost is $11,500.00 due Dec. 20, 2016 at City Council meeting.
• The project starts January 2017.
• Construction Costs occurring 2017 thru 2019 will be $60,000.
• EGC treasury can budget for the Design and Construction Phases.
City of Edina Memory Garden - Arneson Acres
100ft 44.877 -93.347 Degre.
December 13, 2016
Park Board
Jessica Wilson, Water Resources Coordinator
Arden Park Concept Plan Draft - Update and Solicitation for Feedback
Information / Background:
On August 16, 2016 City Council authorized a memorandum of agreement with Minnehaha Creek
Watershed District (MCWD) to develop the Arden Park Concept Plan. The partnership is an intuitive one
because it advances the overlapping goals related to water resources, park improvements, and civic
engagement. The City and MCWD are joined by Park Board members Julie Strother and Eileen McAwley who
have volunteered to serve on the planning and outreach team.
The civic engagement strategy includes a series of three public meetings, two of which have already
occurred. Seeking to understand the desires and values of the community at the beginning was a critical
piece in shaping the development of the Arden Park Concept Plan to date. About 800 invitations were sent
to neighbors in the Arden Park neighborhood and northern Minnehaha Woods neighborhood (the area
bounded by 50th and 56th, and Wooddale and France). The public notice also provided the opportunity to
participate through the project website: www.minnehahacreek.org/arden-park.
Meeting #1 kicked off in October with about 24 participants. We introduced the partners, shared our goals,
and asked the neighbors for their participation in the process. We started with a blank slate, recognizing
that a concept plan should be informed by the neighborhood and users of the park. Before putting a pen to
paper, we convened the neighborhood in the first meeting and asked these three key questions;
1) How do you use the Park and what is valuable to you about the Park?
2) What issues or concerns need to be addressed with the Park?
3) What are your desires for the future of Arden Park?
Input from the participants was organized into five major categories; community placemaking, connecting
with nature, water recreation, recreation (passive and active), and maintenance and safety. This feedback
informed the draft concept for meeting #2.
STAFF REPORT Page 2
We convened the neighborhood for a second meeting in November and presented the initial concept ideas
to an audience of about 25. A series of small focus group discussions focused on the creek, facilities, and
trails helped to further refine the concept plan and allowed us to check some assumptions.
There were several themes that emerged.
It was apparent that the neighbors viewed the park as a community resource with one participant
saying, “the park belongs to the neighborhood.”
Neighbors were in favor of a community meeting place, but there was some hesitation about
improvements that would draw a lot of additional traffic to the park.
There were concerns about the schedule of any future work and the funding source. The
neighborhood had recently undergone a street reconstruction and have recent memory of the
impacts and assessments.
Flooding and drainage issues were a concern.
The natural character of the park was of high value and there was a desire to have more
opportunities to connect with the creek and nature through both passive and active modes, both in
the Minnehaha Creek corridor and adjacent park areas.
Nature, native plants, ecosystem health, and natural beauty frequently appeared in comments
In-stream recreation included a wide range of users from adventure seeking kayakers to leisurely
tubers. There was a desire for more access points from which to fish and view the creek.
There is an opportunity to better connect the Brookview neighborhood to the park, both visually
and physically.
The trails, with multiple access points, loops, and types were well received.
The permanent ice rink might accommodate a summertime use as a sanctioned dog park, as
opposed to a sport court.
Overall, the requests were modest, asking for upgrades to existing facilities. Residents indicated that
the ice rink and warming house are highly valued and heavily used, but in need of improvement.
We recently convened Park Maintenance staff to get their perspective and ensure that the draft concept is
consistent with their operations. They provided insight on access, use, aesthetics, and safety that will inform
the concept as it nears completion.
Before we invite the neighbors for meeting #3, we want to check in with the Park Board and City Council to
review the initial concept design and solicit more feedback. A copy will be displayed on the screen and hard
copies will be provided. We’ll briefly orient you to the plan, then listen, answer questions, and ask some
questions of our own.
Many stakeholders have been involved as we continue to work toward a concept plan for Arden Park that
reflects the needs and desires of the community. Once complete, the Arden Park Concept Plan may be used
as a planning tool for prioritizing future projects and to leverage other funding sources. More information
about the project can be found at www.minnehahacreek.org/arden-park.
Fred Richards Park Master Plan
Page 1 of 2
MEETING AGENDA
A. Strategic Plan Overview and Application to Fred Richards Master Plan – 5 min.
a. Brief review of Edina Vision Plan
B. Master Plan Process and Schedule Update – 5 min.
C. Park Board Vision and Guiding Principles Listening Session – 40 min.
a. Strengths
b. Needs – Future Needs
c. Issues
d. Opportunities
e. Threats
D. Public Engagement Prioritization Exercise – 10 minutes
a. Overview of Proposed Public Engagement Strategy
i. Identified stakeholders and audiences
ii. Strategies for engagement
b. Prioritizing audiences and techniques for engagement – an interactive exercise to gather Park Board input
in prioritizing stakeholders, approaches, and events for Public Engagement
PROJECT: Fred Richards Park Master Plan Workshop
PROJECT #:
DATE/ TIME: December 14th, 2016
LOCATION: Edina City Hall
RE: Park Board Workshop
PROJECT/00000XX
Page 2 of 2
CITY OF EDINA
10/01/14
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS
VISION MASTER PLAN
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS
VISION MASTER PLAN
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Prepared By:
Schoenbauer Consulting, LLC
5054 Drew Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55410
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Introduction and
Acknowledgments
INTRODUCTION/OVERVIEW
OF PUBLIC PROCESS
On April 22, 2014 the Edina City Council retained Schoenbauer
Consulting, LLC to undertake a repurposing study for Fred Richards.
This report summarizes the findings of the first step in the planning
process and establishes a broad vision and baseline development
program for the site. The main goal of this step is to establish the
parameters for "highest and best public use" of the property, which will
be used to guide development of a detailed master plan.
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
The general public, neighborhood residents, various stakeholders, and
special interest groups were invited to participate in an open public
process to ensure that pertinent planning issues were discovered and
addressed by the study. The public process included:
• Public meetings — where all interested parties could provide input
and perspectives
• Site walks — to give residents a chance to discuss site-specific issues
and concerns
• Interviews, phone calls, and email exchanges —with defined
stakeholder groups, special interest groups and nearby developers
• Social media — using the City's web-based public access portal to
gather additional information on community opinions
Public input into the planning process was insightful and central to
establishing a core vision for the property as the City moves forward in
making important decisions about repurposing the site.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
CONSULTANT
TEAM
The consultant team appreciated the opportunity to work with the City
of Edina in undertaking an open public process for this challenging
project. The team especially acknowledges input from the many
residents and stakeholder groups that were involved. Their individual
and collective insights and perspectives were instrumental in drawing
reasoned conclusions.
The consultant team also thanks the Park Board and city staff. Their
commitment to an open public process ensured that all opinions were
duly considered. Their understanding of the larger planning context
and how the site fits into the larger city picture was also of high value.
Sincerely,
Jeff Schoenbauer, Schoenbauer Consulting, LLC
Principal-in-Charge / Project Manager
Schoenbauer Consulting, LLC
5054 Drew Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55410
jaschoenbauer@gmail.com
612.578.1975
In collaboration with:
Genus Landscape Architects
325 East 5th Street
Des Moines, IA 50309
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 11
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Table of Contents
BACKGROUND AND PROJECT GOALS I - 2
Overview/Background 1
Steps in the Repurposing Process 1
Project Goals
SETTING, TRENDS, AND PUBLIC OUTREACH 3 - 8
Overview 3
Planning Context and Park Setting 3
Park Use Trends and Facility Demands 4
Public Outreach Findings 6
Safety and Security 8
VISION MASTER PLAN 9-22
Overview 9
Creativity and Uniqueness a Core Value 9
Balancing Active Uses with Preserving Natural Areas
and Sense of Place 9
Vision Master Plan Overview 10
Parkway Corridor 12
Regional Trail Corridor 13
Internal Park Trails, Promenades and Boardwalks 14
Community Activities and Events Area 15
Adventure Play Area 16
Field Games Area 17
Open Parkland Area I 8
Naturalized Buffers 20
Repurposing the Maintenance Building 22
Urban Agriculture Area (Alternative) 22
IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS 23 - 26
Overview 23
Interrelationship and Collaboration with
Pentagon Park Redevelopment 23
Technical Conditions and Challenges 25
Cost Projections for Repurposing Site 26
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 111
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
The 42 acres of open space land provides a unique park opportunity for the City.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAIvRLIES & DOING BUSINESS iv
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Background and Project
Framework
OVERVIEW/BACKGROUND
STEPS IN THE REPURPOSING
PROCESS
On March 18, 2014, the Edina City Council accepted staff and Park
Board recommendations to cease the golf operation. On April 22,
2014, the City Council authorized undertaking this repurposing study,
which was to be forward looking and would not focus on revisiting the
decision to close the golf course.
This study is the first step in the process of repurposing the Fred
Richards site for public use, as the following illustrates.
STARTING POINT: CITY COUNCIL DECISION TO CLOSE TILE
COURSE
STUDY Focus
Note: Between steps I and 2, the
City will consider study findings
as part of park system planning
effort. This evaluation may result in ---1"
refinement of this plan as city-wide
needs relative to this park are
further considered
STEP 1: CREATE A SET OF PRINCIPLES AND VISION FOR THE
SITE
Based on findings from this public process, Park Board and City
Council set parameters for "highest and best public use" of the
property.
STEP 2: PREPARE A DETAILED MASTER PLAN FOR THE SITE
Consistent with the findings of step 1 and City Council directives.
STEP 3: DEVELOP FUNDING PACKAGE
Depending on the type and scope of final master plan outcomes, may
or may not require phasing.
STEP 4: UNDERTAKE CONSTRUCTION
Includes preparing construction documents, bidding project, and
construction.
As illustrated, the public process is purposefully robust and allows the
community numerous opportunities to refine outcomes through each of
the outlined steps.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 1
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
PROJECT GOALS The purpose of the study was to engage the public to gather
information and ideas about repurposing the Fred Richards site to
position the City Council to make an informed decision about its future
use. Key principles established for the study include:
• Maintaining an open and transparent public process
• Seeking creative ideas and options
• Providing context and background information to aid the City
Council in analyzing and considering repurposing opportunities
The consultant spent considerable time gathering background
information and listening to various stakeholders and members of the
community. Specifically, the team's charge was to:
• Understand the community issues and perspectives associated with
repurposing the site
• Provide a public conduit for generating ideas
• Define viable options for City Council consideration
• Undertake baseline development cost evaluation
• Provide perspective related to findings from the public process
• Recommend a plan of action for the City Council to further
consider
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 2
FRED RICHARDS SITE
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Seting, Trends, and
Public Outreach
OVERVIEW
PLANNING CONTEXT AND
PARK SETTING
The following considers the setting for the park, local recreational
trends and demands for facilities to meet community needs, and public
input into the process. Collectively, these findings shaped planning
outcomes and the vision for the park.
The Fred Richards site is located in the southeastern part of the city, as
the following park map illustrates.
1. Alden Park
2. Arden Park
3. Arneson Acres Park
4. Birchcrest Park
5. Braemar Park (Courtney Fields)
6. Bredesen Park
7. Browndale Park
8. Centennial Lakes Park
9. Chowen Park
0. Cornelia School Park
11. Countryside Park
12. Creek Valley School Park
13. Edinborough Park
14. Fox Meadow Park
15. Garden Park
16. Heights Park
17. Highlands Park
18. Kolath Park
19. Lake Edina Park
20. Lewis Park
21. McGuire Park
22. Melody Lake Park
23. Normandale Park
24. Pamela Park
25. Rosland Park (includes disc gall course)
26. Sherwood Park
27.91. John's Park
28. Strachauer Park
29 Tingdale Park
30.1 Lea Todd Park
31. Frank Tupa Park
32. Utley Park
33. Van Valkenburg Park
34. Walnut Ridge Park
35. Weber field Park
36. Williams Park
37. Wooddale Park
38. York Park
39. Yorktown Park (includes skate park)
OPEN SPACE AREAS
40. Lincoln Drive Floodplain
41. Garden Park Addition
42. Krahl Hill
43. Moore Property
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 3
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
As a starting point for the public process, baseline considerations
included:
• Repurposing of the site is a very unique opportunity for a developed
city
• General consensus that the site will become a park
• Size, location, and opportunity suggest the park falls under a
"community park" classification, with this process being used to
define how the site is best developed to meet community needs and
fit into the local park system
• Outcome needs to be of high public value and serve a cross-section
of residents (neighborhood and larger community)
Other key considerations include:
• Any park development needs to be compatible with, and
complementaiy to, the adjoining land uses
• Connected, but not intrusive, to adjoining properties
• Accommodate the Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail
• Be sensitive to environmental issues (e.g., Nine Mile Creek
watershed and stormwater management concerns)
If done well, the general consensus is that the park will instantly
become an important and perhaps cornerstone component of the local
park system.
PARK USE TRENDS AND
FACILITY DEMANDS
The Park Board provided insights into city-wide and site-specific park
trends and facility demands. Overall, the common theme was to create
a unique park experience focusing on getting children and families
outdoors more, along with providing a pleasant place for nearby
business employees to use during work days. Serving the park needs of
the entire community versus a select group or neighborhood was also
important to the Park Board.
Key considerations and observations include:
• Sports fields — addressing the need for field space, especially
related to field games like soccer and lacrosse; focus should be on
youth age groups; lighting is probably not needed
• New forms of recreation — be open to emerging forms of
recreation, like Futsal, that would appeal to different age groups
• Urban agriculture — expanding on the community garden theme
• Outdoor adventure and creative play — providing unique and
adventuresome play areas that go beyond typical play equipment;
perhaps with a focus on natural play and/or outdoor adventure
• Attract hard to reach groups — emphasize a welcoming
environment and facilities that appeal to the 15 to 18 year age
group, a notoriously challenging group to engage
• Develop the park for all seasons — including winter activities,
such as cross-country skiing, ice skating and snowshoeing; includes
access to a warming house
• Accommodate groups — by providing areas for group gatherings
and staging events; repurpose clubhouse to accommodate flexible
group use; consider additional modest-sized shelters or structures
for group use
4 FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
• Integrate the regional trail — establishing trailhead amenities;
establishing a "bike library" which makes bikes, trikes, and other
peddle-power vehicles available for public use; perhaps include
bike shop and/or offer repair classes
• Buffering — it is as important to buffer views from both inside and
outside park
• Provide adequate but not excessive parking — includes meeting
day-to-day parking needs; also includes collaborating with
Pentagon Park developer to meet peak parking needs (i.e., evenings,
weekends, and events) with off-site shared parking facilities in
select locations
• Be cautious about overbuilding — larger scale features such as
community center, indoor athletic facilities, competitive pool, youth
center, etc. are not well-suited for this park
Over the years, the City has undertaken a variety of park and
recreation focused surveys to help inform planning decisions on a
system-wide basis. Since these surveys have a community-wide and
not site-specific focus, caution is needed in applying these findings to
individual parks. To that end, integrating the findings of these surveys
and this study into the larger system-wide planning effort the City is
undertaking (mid-2014/early 2015) is an important recommendation
by the Park Board. This will allow the City to fully understand
how Fred Richards fits into the larger system and help fine-tune the
development program for the park within that context. (The steps in the
repurposing process defined on page 1 purposefully accommodates this
approach.) Of considerable importance in fine-tuning the master plan
is accommodating pertinent demographic changes across the city and
how that may affect final development decisions.
Within the system-wide context, the development program as currently
envisioned for the site does in fact address many of the top priorities
defined in the various surveys. For example, the 2006 Community
Attitude and Interest Survey focusing on parks and recreation identified
walking and biking trails as being very popular, as is creating and/or
protecting natural areas and wildlife habitat. The amenities envisioned
for the park that focus on families and youth sports are also consistent
with survey results. For example, development of outdoor athletic
fields was supported by a majority of households.
The 2013 City of Edina Survey related to use and rating of park and
recreation facilities found 79 percent of household members reported
using the trail system during the past year, with 84 percent reported
using neighborhood parks. Nearly half (48 percent) of household
members reported using the larger community playfields during the
past year.
The 2014 Grandview Resident Survey finds that residents are veiy
supportive of projects that foster a stronger sense of community.
Residents also think the City should create more recreational
opportunities, as well as cultural and arts opportunities for people of all
ages and incomes.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAIVILLIES & DOING BUSINESS 5
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
PUBLIC OUTREACH
FINDINGS
Site walks were used as a means to
better understand specific concerns of
adjacent residents.
The public process was open to all individuals and groups to ensure
that everyone with an interest in the park had a chance to voice their
perspectives. The public outreach process included:
• Open public meetings (including comment cards)
• Resident-focused site walks
• Online comment forms for repurposing Fred Richards
• Speak Up, Edina!
• Direct emails (to staff)
• Interviews with the Pentagon Park developer
• Interviews with a cross-section of nearby apartment and local
businesses
The following captures the overall themes and sub-themes that came
out of the collective process and helped shape the development
program for the site.
COMMON THEMES FROM THE PUBLIC OUTREACH PROCESS
Participants uniformly agree that the site is an important community
asset, with the vast majority feeling turning it into a park is the best
way forward. There is absolutely no interest in selling the property for
development or using the site for stormwater management associated
with the commercial redevelopment south of the park.
Although individual perspectives vary, creating a well-designed
community park that serves all residents best describes how the
majority of residents envision the site being repurposed. A number of
sub-themes also emerged through the public process, including:
• Provide a diversity of uses — offering a friendly and
accommodating social environment that is inviting to all residents,
with a particular focus on families and children's activities ("kid"
friendly)
• Create a park that is unique and innovative — go beyond typical
features to make the park more interesting and different than a
typical park; design for year-round use
• Enhance natural qualities of the park — including the appearance
of ponds and using more natural buffers
• Manage vehicular and pedestrian access — to ensure ease of
access and limit disruption to established neighborhoods
SPECIFIC ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS
Residents in the surrounding neighborhoods have varying opinions
on how the property should be repurposed, although there is fairly
uniform agreement that a park is the most appropriate end use. As
would be expected, residents also have specific and quite reasonable
concerns that need to be duly considered as the planning moves
forward. Most notable of these include:
• Adequately buffer adjacent properties — to minimize sense of
encroachment and invasion of privacy; using a naturalized buffer is
generally preferred
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 6
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
• Prevent parking and vehicle access from disrupting the
neighborhood — which essentially means providing park access and
parking on the south side
• Locate active use area (game fields, play structures, etc.) away
from residential areas — such as on the south and east sides of the
property; use trees and vegetation to help screen these areas
• Keep the regional trail on the south side to extent possible —
focus on lower-volume and slower paced park-like trails within the
park
• Limit pedestrian access from the north to select locations — most
likely from the cul-de-sac at the end of Kellogg Ave.
• Bury power line along the north property line — to improve the
aesthetic for the park users and homeowners
• Limit lighting to critical areas — do not provide field lighting,
and make sure that lighting associated with roads, parking lots,
and buildings on the south side of the park are not disruptive or
excessive
Understandably, residents on the north
side of the site are concerned about
buffering between the park and private
properties.
PERSPECTIVES FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES AND PENTAGON PARK
DEVELOPER
Interviews with local businesses and Pentagon Park developer
reinforce or build upon the themes already described. For example, a
nearby daycare provider would definitely use a community park, with
having access to play equipment, splash pad, trails, community garden,
nature-based activities, and even a simple grassy area for active play
being very desirable. Adding more natural areas would be great for
field trips.
Businesses also see much value from the park. Simple, well-designed
features like trails, sitting areas, and picnic areas are important for
lunchtime and breaks. The park aesthetic itself would lend itself to a
pleasant place to go to think and work informally with coworkers in
an out-of-office setting. Having easy access to small meeting spaces
within the park would be beneficial.
Having access to active recreational facilities is also important to a
growing number of employers as part of their wellness focus. Seagate,
for example, has employee programs for walking, running, soccer,
ultimate Frisbee, yoga, and boot camp, to name a few. The Pentagon
Park development team also expects future employers and employees
will use the park for personal and corporate wellness efforts. Easy
access to the regional trail and trailhead facilities enhances bike and
walk-to-work commuter programs.
Under the right circumstances, local businesses expressed an openness
to collaborate on developing outdoor fitness facilities for mutual
benefit. One example of this is putting a fitness course along a trail
within the park.
(Note: Additional discussion related to the Pentagon Park development
is provided on page 23.)
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 7
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
AREAS OF CONCERN AND CRITIQUE
Overall, the public process proved invaluable to identifying issues and
defining opportunities, and ultimately shaping the vision master plan.
For the most part, participants where respectful of each other, City
staff, and elected officials, and participated in good faith in providing
input.
In the context of good faith, residents found it important to document
areas of dissatisfaction — most of which related to the closing the golf
course. Key points of feedback include:
• Dissatisfaction with the process and timeframe associated with
closing the golf course, with many feeling it was rushed and did not
allow for real public debate
• Mistrust about the City's intent to allow the Pentagon Park
developer to use the property for stormwater management
• Concern that the City really intends to sell the property for
commercial development
• Lack of concern for those most affected by changing land uses,
especially homeowners that have a lot invested in their properties
and are concerned about impacts that reuses, parking, and access
will have on them and the neighborhood
• Lack of clarity on how the City plans to fund any new park
development
It also needs to be stated that some nearby residents simply do not
accept the fact that the golf course should be closed and feel the City's
approach here and in general is ill advised. Hopefully, this process (and
the steps going forward) will help alleviate these concerns and build a
higher level of trust between all participants.
SAFETY AND SECURITY According to Edina Police, there is very little crime going on in local
parks — with no robberies, assaults, or weapons violations being
recorded. Edina Police feel parks are safe for residents and visitors.
Other related research draws similar conclusions. For example,
research on trail-related crime conducted by Schoenbauer Consulting,
LLC in 2010 yielded the following results:
• Respondents (law enforcement officers) consider trails to be safe,
with the vast majority (87%) reporting that trails account for less
than 5% of all unlawful activity in their jurisdiction, and nearly
50% saying that it is less than 1%
• Trespassing on adjacent property is considered low incidence, with
issues of more serious crimes against persons or property being
very infrequent
Police often cite parking lots as their biggest concern, where
occasionally theft from cars can be an issue wherever the opportunity
for a quick getaway exists.
While people's concerns about the security deserves due consideration,
parks and trails are actually considered quite safe by police agencies
and account for a relatively small percentage of unlawful activity and
safety problems.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 8
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Vision Master
Plan
OVERVIEW
CREATIVITY AND
UNIQUENESS A CORE
VALUE
BALANCING ACTIVE
USES WITH PRESERVING
NATURAL AREAS AND A
SENSE-OF-PLACE
The vision master plan is the first step in translating public input into
an actual development program for the park. The following describes
desired end uses and related physical features envisioned for the park
as an outcome of step 1 of the repurposing process. The goal is to set
forth a cohesive storyline for the park so that residents, Park Board and
City Council have a point of focus for continued refinement as part of
the next steps in this process.
Discussions during the public process often centered on the desire
for a creative and unique design outcome for the park. Irrespective of
individual opinion on many site issues, this perspective is clearly a
shared and core value of participants.
This step in the process focused on defining the core vision for the site
(i.e., community park) and describing the basic design intent associated
with the individual functional uses. The detailed master plan phase
(step 2) is where much more specific and detailed attention is given to
finding creative ways to achieve the vision and creating a compelling
high quality park experience. With this in mind, the goal with the
forthcoming descriptions is to establish a baseline for discussions to
come as the design process moves forward.
To further inform the next step in the process, a variety of photos and
character sketches are provided to highlight design approaches and
themes. While the final design for Fred Richards will be refined under
the next step, these are provided to reinforce the importance of quality
design in translating the individual elements described in this report
into a truly inspired public amenity that will serve the community well
for many decades to come.
The vision master plan strives to balance active recreational uses to
meet community needs with preserving open space and the site's
sense of place and aesthetic qualities. While providing a variety of
recreational and educational opportunities is a fundamental goal,
showing restraint in the size and location of the built footprint is also
an important public value. Under this plan, approximately 35 to 40
percent of the park is envisioned for active recreational uses, such
as field games, play areas, and community gathering spaces. The
remaining 60 to 65 percent is set aside for more passive, or "quiet,"
forms of recreation, open space, ponding areas, and buffers. Examples
of passive uses include park trails, sitting areas, informal-use lawn
areas, and wildflower gardens.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 9
• 1 ['. 1 Hibiscus Ave.
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t RAIL _
Mail Connection to
future deve/lopment
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77th Street . . .
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7th StrI t Y„ A._
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OPEN PARICUu D AREA —
CASUAL RECREA ONAL USE 1
cARKWAY
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
STRIVING TO BALANCE ACTIVE USES WITH PRESERVING NATURAL AREAS AND A SENSE—OF—PLACE
The vision master plan strives to find the right ... while still preserving natural open space
balance between meeting community needs and the park's sense ofplace.
for active recreational facilities ...
VISION MASTER PLAN
OVERVIEW
The vision master plan describes a cross-section of features and
amenities envisioned for the park to meet current and anticipated
park and recreational demands. The following graphic illustrates the
conceptual location of the major use areas and development features
envisioned under the vision master plan.
10
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Under the plan, each area of the park addresses specific types of
active and passive recreational uses to meet the needs of families and
individuals. Active recreation refers to team sports or other activities
that involves the use of playing fields and play areas. Passive recreation
refers to the more personal and often "quiet" activities such as walking,
observation, kite flying, yoga, and so forth. Taken together, the
recreational features will provide a well-rounded palette of activities
for families and individuals to enjoy.
The more active recreational uses are envisioned on the southern and
eastern sides of the park, largely adjacent to the proposed Pentagon
Park redevelopment area. This orientation offers several key benefits:
• Concentrates the more active uses where parking and vehicular
access can be best accommodated, including the shared use of
parking associated with future commercial development on the
south and east side of the park
• Takes advantage of an existing larger open space, which is not
available on the western side where the property is narrower and
broken up by existing wetlands
• Leverages the repurposing of the clubhouse and maintenance
facility to support active use facilities (i.e., group gathering space,
restrooms, storm shelter, etc.)
• Limits concerns about disrupting existing residential properties
along the north property line
The more passive recreational uses are envisioned on the northern and
western sides of the park, largely adjacent to the established residential
neighborhoods. With the existing (and perhaps expanded) ponds,
rolling topography, natural and manicured green spaces, this area of the
park is well suited for walking paths, overlooks and observation points,
and other forms of casual recreation (e.g., kite flying, picnicking). A
more passive approach to development also helps provide a distance
buffer between the existing residential area and the more active park
uses.
The design layout for the park includes numerous opportunities to
integrate community art, sculptures and other forms of community
expression for public display. These types of features are important
to creating a unique sense of place in the park that goes beyond the
individual recreational features.
The following provides an overview of the various development
use areas within the park identified on the vision master plan. Each
of these are subsequently defined in terms of the type and character
of the various uses that would be envisioned within a given zone.
Importantly, these descriptions represent a starting point for detailed
design. Continued refinement of the ideas, amenity locations, and
design approach is both expected and encouraged during step 2 in the
process.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 11
Example of a parkway design that
creates a aesthetically appealing edge
to a park.
Community art/
sculpture feature
Informal laivn
Parking bay Parkway with
Regional trail boulevard
Landscaped
green buffer Sidewalk
Comn ercial
development
area
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
PARKWAY CORRIDOR This corridor includes the parkway and associated parking areas to
service the day to day needs of the park. The parkway is an important
feature in ensuring ease of vehicular access to the park from the south
(and east and west), where much of the use traffic will likely come
from. Ease of access from the south is also vital to limiting the extent
to which park users access the park from the north — where there is no
real option to provide parking and local streets are not intended for
heavier day to day traffic. The parkway also allows for shared use of
parking lots with adjacent commercial properties during peak use times
— most namely evenings and weekends.
The parkway is envisioned as a shared benefit amenity with the
Pentagon Park development area, with encroachment into the park
property being limited in order to preserve park space. Heavier traffic
volumes (and truck traffic in particular) should be directed toward
77th Street to preserve the character of the parkway and keep traffic
volumes lower.
The actual design of the parkway will evolve as part of a coordinated
effort with the new developments south of the park. This includes
determining the points of connection with 77th Street. (Note: through
previous action, the City Council determined that a connection to 76th
Street on the east side was not desirable.) The parkway will be built as
phases of Pentagon Park are approved and developed.
Another important aspect of the parkway is its importance in
establishing a "park-like" aesthetic edge along the south property line.
The parkway also plays a key role in creating a much more appealing
buffer between the site and commercial development than is currently
the case. The following graphic illustrates the streetscape character
envisioned for the parkway.
The parkway serves a functional purpose of providing park access and parking. The design character of the parkway is
of equal hnportance in establishing a park-like aesthetic edge to the park, and creating an appealing buffer between the
park and the commercial development to the south. Note that the boulevards and landscaped given beers are envisioned
as important landscape features along with being part of the overall stomwater management plan (Le., bioswales and
raingardens to filter rune).
Onsite parking will be provided to meet day-to-day needs. Peak
use (evenings and weekends) parking needs will be met by taking
advantage of well-placed designated public parlcing areas associated
with the commercial developments on the south side. (These will be
defined as part of future development agreements with the Pentagon
Park developer.)
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 12
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
The vast majority of park-dedicated parking will be accessed from the
parkway. The largest parking lot within the park will be located near
the active use zones. Additional more limited parking will be provided
along the parkway in smaller bays that are integrated into the overall
parkway and park design to be as unobtrusive as possible. A small to
modest size public parking lot may also be needed off of Parklawn
Avenue to service that area of the park.
As a regional facility, the regional trail serves a broad range of local
and non-local users. The trail will be designed to meet regional
standards, which is 10 feet wide and hard-surfaced (typically asphalt
pavement). The corridor plan for the regional trail shows it entering the
park area from behind the Burgundy Place development on the west
side, and exiting along Parklawn on the east side. Between these two
points, Three Rivers Park District is flexible as to where the trail is best
located relative to the future development of the park and commercial
area to the south. The main goal of the District is to ensure the trail
through this area is as pleasant and safe a user experience as possible.
If well-located and designed, the regional trail will be a positive and
important recreational amenity for park visitors and those living or
working in the surrounding area. To minimize the potential for use
conflicts with other park uses and activities, much of the regional
trail will be located on the south side of the park along the parkway
corridor. As the character sketch below illustrates, the goal is to create
a pleasant trail experience while limiting the amount of park space it
consumes. Keeping the regional use traffic on the south side of the park
in this area also helps alleviate concerns about encroachment of the
regional trail on residential properties on the north side.
On the south side of the park,
the regional trail will primarily
parallel the parkway. As shown, , boulevards and green buffers on
either side of the trail help create a
park-like experience with minimal
i impacts on other park uses. All
I crossings with other trails and
promenades will be designed
with visual cues (e.g., pavement
treatments, signage, landscape
features) to minimize conflicts.
Parkway with
boulevard
REGIONAL TRAIL
CORRIDOR
Community park Boulevard
uses Regional trail
Green buffer
On the east side, the goal is for the regional trail to connect with (but
stay on the periphery of) the community gathering, active use, and
field games areas. Staying on the periphery of this active use zone is
important to minimizing user conflicts. (Note: The alignment through
this area is conceptual and will be refined during step 2— detailed
master planning phase.) Trailhead facilities would be integrated into
an overall design for this area of the park. Design features that serve
the park and regional trail include parking, access to restTooms, sitting
areas, refreshments, and bike rental.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 13
Simple park trail
Vatying landscape
features
Naturalized
landscape
Suspended boardwalk
with observation areas
Existing natural Pond-edge vegetation boardwalk with
Ponding seating
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Internal park trails provide a stand-alone park amenity along with
providing access to the various park uses. In contrast to the regional
trail, these trails have a more intimate and curvilinear character.
Although bike use is not prohibited, park trails are designed more
for pedestrian-level and slower-paced use than is the case with the
regional trail. Generally, an 8-foot trail width is envisioned, although
wider segments may be needed in busy areas, such as near the active
use areas. Narrower trail segments may also be suitable to access
overlooks, sitting areas and natural areas.
In general, park trails will be hard-surfaced for accessibility and
durability, but the surface treatment could be different to distinguish
them from the regional trail. In select locations, such as the north arm
and in natural areas, narrower aggregate surfaced trails may be also be
appropriate.
The vision master plan complements the park trails with promenades
and boardwalks that add architectural elements and invite casual
strolling in the park. These features also provide various opportunities
to sit, observe, reflect, and gain access to a variety of activity nodes and
park features. The following character sketches illustrate the general
character of the park trails and boardwalks that would meander through
the park.
Park trail Suspended boardwalk and observation Edge boardwalk and sitting area
platform
As these character sketches illustrate, a combination of park trails and boardivalks are envisioned to provide a variety of
casual trail experiences throughout the park.
Access to the internal park trails will be primarily from the parkway
corridor, south parking lots, and regional trail. More limited trail access
from Parldawn (east side) and Kellogg Avenue (north side) is also
envisioned.
INTERNAL PARK TRAILS,
PROMENADES
AND BOARDWALKS
Private drive
access
Boulevard
New trail
Eliminating the cul-de-sac at the end of Kellogg is a possibility to help
manage pedestrian access and reduce concerns about excessive parking
along the street. Final determination as to the desire and practicality
of this approach will be considered as part of the detail design phase.
(Additional input from affected property owners along Kellogg will be
needed.)
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 14
The existing clubhouse is of good
quality and can be reasonably
repwposed for described park uses.
Community activities and events area Off-site overflow
parking
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 15
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
AND EVENTS AREA
The main design goal of the community activities area is to repurpose
the clubhouse and create compelling surrounding outdoor spaces
to complement it. These indoor-outdoor spaces are envisioned to
accommodate a wide-range of activities and user groups. Examples
include:
• Special events
• Organized group gatherings
• Social gatherings, such as weddings and family reunions
• Theater or music in the park (small scale)
The community activities area is envisioned to be an appealing place
to spontaneously gather, socialize, and simply hang out. In this context,
the aesthetics of the area, sense of place, and viewsheds across the park
are all important to creating a space people want to use all days of the
week. The design theme established for this area will also influence the
design character and quality expectation for the rest of the park.
The clubhouse is envisioned to be repurposed to a flexible-use and
programmable community space for events and group gatherings.
Day-to-day, the restrooms and possibly vending will be available to
park users. In winter, the facility can be used as warming house or
a place to organize for outdoor activities, such as informal skating,
snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The facility will also serve as a
de facto trailhead for the regional trail.
The clubhouse building is of good quality and well maintained.
Architecturally, the aesthetics of the building warrant updating for park
purposes. The color, exterior facade treatments, etc. will all evolve to
be consistent with design themes that emerge for this area of the park,
and the park in general.
Field games area
Flexible-use lawn
gathering space
Outdoor courtyard
and event space
Repurposed
clubhouse
Ponding
Parkway
The outdoor spaces in this area
are of equal importance. Flexible
outdoor spaces for gatherings, casual
socializing, and just hanging out are
imagined. Design features include
arbors, ornamental planting, benches,
etc. Art pieces, sculptures, and other
forms of community expression
are also appropriate design features
as part of an overall high quality
design theme. The graphic illustrates
the general location of the design
components and character of the
community use area.
FOR LIWNG, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
ADVENTURE PLAY AREA
Community
activities and <
events area
The major objective of this use area is to robustly engage youth
and teens in appealing non-programmed outdoor activities. This
includes providing a variety of innovative play and outdoor adventure
components that appeal to age groups from the very young through the
15 to 18 year old age group — the latter of which being a recognized
challenging group to engage.
For the younger age groups, envisioned
play components include theme-based
adventure-type play structures at a community
park-scale. The creativity of the design is key
to making this a park feature that children will
be eager to return to time and again. The vision
master plan identifies the general location
for the play area. Actual features, shape and
size will be determined during detail design
phase, with additional input being needed from
targeted groups. The accompanying photos
are just examples of how wide-ranging the
possibilities are for imaginative approaches to
play areas that goes beyond traditional play
structures.
Character sketch illustrates the general location of
adventure play area.
Field games
area —
Adventure
play area —
Imaginative play can be as simple as
a small raft in a shallow pond (upper
right) to site-specific designs that
fit the overall design theme for the
park (above). Incorporating "active
participation" features (right) is also
an increasingly popular approach to
play areas.
All of these examples highlight the
increasing sophistication of creating
play areas that are fun, stimulating
and educational.
16
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Adding a splash pad for younger children would be another interesting
play feature that expands the recreational value of the play area.
For older age groups, providing a challenging outdoor adventure-based
recreational area space is envisioned. Although not an exhaustive list,
examples of the types of features envisioned include:
• Slacklines
• Bouldering rock and/or climbing wall
• Ropes ladder and/or course, along with cargo nets
• Balance logs or beams
Slacklining is one those unique recreational activities that appeal to multiple generations, and can
serve to bring people of various backgrounds and age groups together to have fun and socialize.
The proximity of the adventure play areas to one another and other
park uses is an important design consideration. Providing adequate
separation between age groups to avoid conflicts is obviously
important. Conversely, the design should still allow for different
age groups to observe the activities of other groups as part of the
socialization aspect of the park experience. Designing these areas for
ease of monitoring is also important, especially when a parent has
children of varying ages and interests using different play features.
Adequately buffering the noise from the play areas is also an important
design consideration.
FIELD GAMES AREA
Youth-orientedfields for sports like
socce4 are in demand across the cibl.
The field games area covers an area of 5 to 6 acres, with the final
acreage being determined as specific community facility needs are
refined through the design process. The final footprint of the field
games area will also be influenced by the shape and size of adjoining
elements, especially the play and outdoor adventure use and the north
arm areas.
The field game area is envisioned as a well-maintained green space
surrounded by trees and ponds. Field access, parking, and restrooms
will all be on the south side of the field games area. Trees and natural
vegetation will be used along the northern edge of this area to buffer
adjacent properties and dissuade people from entering the field games
area from the north side of the park.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 17
Youth-orientedfield games are one of
the best ways to bring families together
in a park setting.
OPEN PARKLAND AREA
The open parkland area is all about
creating pleasant places for people to
be outside doing casual recreational
activities or just sitting in the park
enjoying the day.
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
As a baseline, the field games area is intended to address
youth-oriented sports such as soccer, lacrosse, and perhaps football.
Although not a full solution, providing field space on this site helps
address the unmet demand for more sports fields throughout the
community. For reference, space requirements for standard soccer field
sizes include:
• Regulation full size — 1.75 to 2.0 acres
• Intermediate — 1.0 to 1.25 acres
• Junior size — 0.5 to 0.75 acre
Taking it a step further, accommodating other forms of established or
emerging field activities is worthy of consideration. Examples of this
include:
• Wiffieball (0.25 to 0.50 acre) — alternative to baseball and softball
for smaller field spaces and oriented toward young children and
family or group fun
• Futsal (0.25 to 0.50 acre) — game played on a hard
surfaced, basketball sized court with a smaller, heavier
low bounce ball
• Sand volleyball and footvolly (0.10 acre) — latter is sand
volleyball without using hands
• Puckelball (from Sweden) — basically entails adding
moguls or rolling grade to a soccer field to create a very
unique dimension to playing a soccer ball
Other important design considerations related to the field
games area include irrigation, field grades, and soil type (i.e.
sand/peat or basic topsoil). Although considered, providing
lighting was not widely accepted as appropriate for this
community park setting.
Puckelball is one example of one-off twist to a common
game that would be unique' to Edina, and likely
Minnesota.
Providing quiet spaces for casual recreation and simply enjoying being
outdoors in a beautiful setting is the theme for this area. Passive uses
— such as walking along a well-designed trail or promenade, or sitting
on a bench overlooking a pond — is a prime focus for this area, as is
"quiet" active recreational and exercise uses. Examples of the latter
include places for yoga classes, to toss a frisbee, or fly a kite.
Key elements envisioned for this area include:
• Curvilinear walking trails (that are separate and distinguishable
from the regional trail)
• Promenades with community art, sculptures, and other forms of
community expression
• Sitting areas, with shade structures, arbors, and/or vegetation
• Lawn areas for casual recreation and informal play
• Flexible-use activity nodes and structures for outdoor recreation
(e.g., yoga classes) and casual gatherings (i.e., senior groups, group
picnicking)
The master plan view and character sketches on the next page
conceptually illustrate how design creativity and the use of various
design elements (i.e., promenades, community art, sculptures, etc.)
are important to creating a unique park identify and high quality
community park experience.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 18
- Passive use
parkland
Open lawn for
casual recreation
Activity node/
structure
Park feature/art/
sculpture node
- Promenade
Regional trail
- Edge boardwalk
w/sitling areas
Naturalized
parkland -
Park trails -
Naturalized
buffers -
Park trails
Enhanced
ponding
Flexible-use
activity node with
structure
Promenade with
sitting areas
Open lawn area
for informal
recreation Ponding area
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
The vision master plan
illustrates a diversity of
park use areas, activity
nodes, and features that
can be incorporated
into a final design to
create a compelling and
unique park setting.
\Maw
Open _parkland for Seating area with Internal trail Boardwalk Open parkland
casual uses shade structures across wetlands
As these cross-section character sketches illustrate, the park offers numerous opportunities to create a variety of compelling
outdoor spaces to meet defined community needs and provide a diversity of park experiences.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 19
,...1n11.0.7.047.21• A.1,211
In select locations, such as the far west
end or north arm, using narrowet;
aggregate szufaced trails may be an
appropriate alternative to paved park
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
As the overall vision master plan illustrates, the western part of the
open parkland area is envisioned as a naturalized passive use area
with a limited palette of developed features. Key features in this area
include ponds, expanded natural areas, and simple walking paths with
sitting areas and observation areas — the latter of which being placed to
take advantage of expansive views across the park.
Expanding the existing ponding areas is envisioned to enhance the park
aesthetic and habitat for wildlife, along with improving stormwater
management and better managing flooding concerns associated with
the Nine Mile Creek watershed. (Note: this relates to addressing
City of Edina water management concerns, and does not address any
stormwater management issues associated with the Pentagon Park
redevelopment. The latter is the responsibility of the developer.)
The north arm area of the park is currently an undefined
and undeveloped space. Uses envisioned for this area
are consistent with the larger open parkland area to
the west, albeit focused on neighborhood play space
and quiet walking trails. Features such as a butterfly or
wildflower gardens or colorful prairie exhibits would
add interest and provide a pleasant place to walk or sit
and observe nature. Smaller open lawn areas would
provide space for informal neighborhood use. Specific
improvements envisioned for this area include:
• Continuation of the internal park trails — perhaps a
bit narrower and soft-surfaced for those seeking a
more casual, natural trail experience
• Adding to and improving buffering between the
park and residential properties
• Addressing poor drainage and grade issues to
make the central part of this area more usable and
less prone to maintenance issues; perhaps use rain
gardens to help manage stormwater in a more
appealing manner
• Providing open lawn areas for casual outdoor play,
with a neighborhood use focus
• Providing a smaller, neighborhood-focused play
structure (would complement, not duplicate, the
larger adventure play area)
(During the planning process, developing the north
arm for urban agriculture was considered as a potential
alternative use. This is considered in more detail on
page 22.)
Naturalized
• buffers
around
periphoy of
north arm
Buttedly/
wildflower
gardens
Open lawn area
for neighborhood
Pla.v
Park trails
Naturalized
buffers —
NATURALIZED IL UFFERS Naturalized buffers are envisioned along the entire northern property
line to create an appealing edge to the park and demarcate the park
from adjacent residential properties. The buffers will be designed to
mutually benefit park users and adjacent homeowners. From a park
user's perspective, the goal is to preserve the park's sense of place
while walking along a trail, and to avoid feeling like one is intruding
into someone's backyard.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 20
Private property Property line
Viewshed fi om property
Private property Property line
Viewshed from property Viewshed front park Park trail
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
From a homeowner's perspective, the goal is to maintain a sense of
privacy while still providing select views of the park. Although a costly
initiative, burying the power line running along the north property was
supported by residents. Using vegetation to reduce the extent to which
lights from the Pentagon Park area can be seen should be part of the
buffer design.
The following character sketches illustrate several options in terms of
buffer treatments, which would be used based on actual circumstances
and homeowner input.
Dense natural buffer to more fully screen
private properties from park development
As these cross-section character
sketches illustrate, the goal is
to adequately buffer adjacent
properties from park activities for
mutual benefit. The exact design
treatment along the property
line will vaty depending on
site-specific circumstances and
preferences.
Managed natural buffer to allow for select
views into the park from private properties
As the cross-sections illustrate, maintaining separation between
residential property lines and built features, like trails, is important for
park users and homeowners. In general, 50 or more feet is a common
baseline for minimum separation, but the exact distance is situational.
Grades along the property line, density of vegetation, elevations of
adjoining houses and decks, etc. all factor into final design decisions
and separation requirements.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 21
URBAN AGRICULTURE
AREA (ALTERNATIVE NORTH
ARM USE)
The urban agriculture idea builds von the
well-established community garden theme.
Additional examples and ideas can be found
at:
• foodtank.com/news/2014/02/capital-city-
farming-10-urban-agriculture-projects-
in-washington-dc
• csmonitorcom/World/
Making-a-difference/Change-
Agent/2014/0603/12-agrihoods-aim-to-
make-farm-to-table-living-mainstream
• designntrendcom/
articles/11 703/201403 14/argitopias-are-
popping-up-all-over-the-place.htm
• jonesvalleyteachingfarm.org/our-stoty/
our-impact/
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
REPURPOSING THE
MAINTENANCE BUILDING
A variety of options are available for repurposing the existing
maintenance building. Using the building for storage, maintenance,
and restrooms is a clear option. Providing space for other uses — such
as bike rental, storage, and maintenance classes — also needs to be
considered as the detail design for this area takes shape.
Using part of the building for an indoor-outdoor adventure play area
offers some potential to expand play options. (Note: This approach
needs more consideration as part of the City's system-wide parks
planning effort to determine need and viability.)
As with the clubhouse, the maintenance building is of good quality
and in good repair. Here too the architectural aesthetics of the building
warrant updating for park purposes. The color, exterior facade
treatments, etc. will all evolve to be consistent with design themes that
emerge for the clubhouse.
As previously noted, developing the north arm for urban agriculture
was considered as an alternative use in lieu of open parkland. The
following outlines that discussion.
The urban agriculture idea builds upon the community garden
program that has taken root in many communities around the country.
A community garden is essentially where a city provides small plots
for residents to grow produce for personal consumption. The urban
agriculture program takes this to the next level in which growing
produce can be for personal consumption, resale at farmers markets
(which could be held in the park), sold locally, or used for cooking
classes. Adding an educational component, such as how to grow
produce, is also commonly integrated into the urban agriculture theme.
Providing a space and/or structure for healthy eating cooking classes
builds upon this theme. Accommodating organized farm-to-table
events within the park is also an opportunity.
Specific elements and facilities related to this use area include:
• Fenced agricultural field area —2 to 4 acres
• Shed and shelter structure for storing equipment and organizing
activities
• Utility service — water, electricity, etc.
Taking this one step further, the shed and shelter structure could be
upgraded to three-season shelter that could provide indoor/outdoor
space for classes, farm-to-table events, and general group use.
L.4
;-;
• FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 22
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Implementation
Considerations
OVERVIEW
INTERRELATIONSHIP
AND COLLABORATION
WITH PENTAGON PARK
REDEVELOPMENT
There are a variety of implementation considerations that will impact
the repurposing of the Fred Richards site from a golf course to a
community park. The following outlines the most predominant of these
at a vision master plan level. Each of these, plus other considerations,
will have to be more fully vetted and addressed during the detail master
planning step in the process.
The City and Pentagon Park development team have been working
together for some time on a redevelopment plan for the commercial
area south of the park. The development team has also been engaged
in this planning process to ensure mutual understanding of issues and
desired outcomes associated with repurposing the Fred Richards site.
Discussions with the development team suggest a common vision
of repurposing the Fred as a high-value community park is both
achievable and mutually beneficial. This common vision is even
reflected in the developer's overarching theme of "wellness" for the
Pentagon Park redevelopment. The City's own tag line of Edina being
a place for "living, learning, raising families and doing business"
reinforces the importance of the private development area and public
park be designed as complementary aspects of the larger community
form.
The following outlines the key provisions of the City's resolution
granting rezoning of the Pentagon Park redevelopment area, along with
some key points of focus that came out of this process.
RESOLUTION GRANTING PRELIMINARY REZONING TO PUD
FOR THE PENTAGON PARK REDEVELOPMENT AREA
A resolution granting preliminary rezoning to PUD and an overall
development plan was approved by the City Council in March of 2014.
The rezoning resolution extensively covers the findings and conditions
of approval that will guide the development. Key provisions of the
resolution include that the land use proposal will:
• Be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan
• Meet the intent of the PUD, with the site guided as "Office
Residential" (which is a transitional area between higher intensity
districts and residential districts); primary uses include offices,
housing, limited service uses, limited industrial, parks and open
space
- Create a more efficient and creative use of the property; this
includes better vehicle and pedestrian connections, enhanced green
space and ponding, a mixture of land uses, improved architecture
and sustainability, and shared parking with the park
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 23
FRED RICHARDS REPLTRPOSE STUDY
Under the resolution, the proposed project must also meet the pertinent
goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan, including:
• Design public open and green linkages that bring both amenity and
positive image to neighborhoods, corridors, and business precincts
• Design public streets to serve not only vehicles but also pedestrians,
people with mobility aids, and bicycles
• Create walkable streets that foster an active public life; streets
that are energized by their proximity to a vibrant mix of
activity-generating uses
• Preserve and make accessible natural areas and features as part of a
comprehensive open space network
• Within larger redevelopment sites, promote a fine-grained and
interconnected network of local streets and paths, encouraging
pedestrian circulation and providing a choice of access points
• Encourage infill/redevelopment opportunities that optimize use of
city infrastructure and that complement area, neighborhood, and/or
corridor context and character
• Stay committed to the "podium" height concept, with podium being
defined as the part of a building that abuts the street, or provides the
transition to residential neighborhoods, parks, and other sensitive
land uses; the intent with the concept is to create a consistent street
wall envelope and a comfortable pedestrian environment
KEY POINTS OF Focus FOR CONTINUED COLLABORATION
With respect to the Fred Richards site, continued collaboration between
the City and developer on infrastructure development and design of
buildings and streetscapes is imperative. Key points of focus going
forward include:
• Designing the parkway to provide ease of access to the park and
development area, with the roadway being located on the southern
edge of the park with minimal encroachment into park acreage; the
aesthetic qualities of the parkway's streetscape should complement
the design themes and character established for the park
• Building facades in the new development should provide a
aesthetically pleasant backdrop as viewed from within the park and
along the parkway; this includes an appealing architectural style,
ample trees and vegetation, and limiting lighting impacts on and
across the park
• The park site and Pentagon Park development will independently
manage their own stormwater — although this does not preclude
seeking mutually beneficial stormwater management outcomes (as
determined by the City to be in its best interest)
The provisions of the City's rezoning resolution along with the
key points of focus listed above provide a clear direction and set
of expectations on the interrelationship between the park and the
Pentagon Park development area to the south. The importance of the
design for these two areas being of high quality and complementary
cannot be overstated. Doing so is imperative for the park to retain a
compelling sense of place.
FOR. LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 24
Although well-maintained and visually
appealing, the poor soils across the
park will have to be addressed as part
of any park development.
Through insightful design, the aesthetic
value, water quality and overall
function of the site wetlands and ponds
can be much improved.
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Aesthetically, the Fred Richards site offers a very appealing setting for
a community park. Unfortunately, development of the site brings with
it some significant technical challenges that will have to be addressed.
Most pressing of these is dealing with poor site soils, protecting
wetlands, and addressing stormwater management issues that go well
beyond the site itself.
With respect to site soils, peat and clay predominant across the site.
These soils are prone to saturation and general instability, making
it more difficult and costly to build structures and otherwise keep
the park in top form. Even keeping the golf course in good playable
shape required extensive use of soil-stabilizing fabric underlayment
across much of the site. Going forward, accommodating site soils will
undoubtedly be a factor in design decisions pertaining to the type and
location of site features. Practical limitations on site grading will likely
be one of the most pressing issues as development plans take shape.
With respect to wetlands, all of the current ponds and waterways
found across the site are protected under wetland conservation laws.
Depending on type and quality, any relocation requires mitigation,
even if done onsite. Depending on independent value assessments,
mandated replacement ratios can range from 2 1/4 up to 9 acres for
every 1 displaced wetland acre. From a practical and philosophical
standpoint, every attempt needs to made to avoid displacing the
existing ponds and wetlands.
Water management issues associated with the larger Nine Mile
Creek watershed further complicates onsite stormwater and wetland
protection issues. Succinctly stated, there is a need for additional
stormwater management capacity throughout the watershed — including
the Fred Richards site. This relates to both water quality and water
volume. The increasingly routine occurrence of flooding across parts of
the golf course illustrate that this issue is not going away and that this
site needs to be part of the broader stormwater management solution.
If done well, increasing the surface area of ponds within the park
would be beneficial in several important ways. First, increasing the
size and scale of the ponding areas would obviously help address the
stormwater management issues previously defined.
Second, and of perhaps greater importance to the park user, a
well-designed expanded system of ponds and wetlands could further
enhance the aesthetic qualities of the park. Well-shaped and located
ponds can provide additional "edges" to work off of when designing
trails, providing sitting areas, and creating different spaces within the
park.
Third, well-designed ponds and wetlands can dramatically increase the
value of the wildlife habitat within the park. For example, providing
wider naturalized buffers along the ponds over what is currently the
case would greatly improve habitat quality and quantity. Typically, a
higher quality buffer needs be 30 to 60 feet wide, depending on the
site-specific circumstances.
TECHNICAL CONDITIONS
AND CHALLENGES
(INCLUDES NINE MILE
CREEK WATERSHED RELATED
CONSIDERATIONS)
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 25
-rT -Luie.T.Nr" A 1 111111 11 .1
/a%
HI
•
• !'i; 'Vt1141111111 111611.
1111 111/
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Taken together, the potential benefits of adding ponding as part of an
overall design can be significant — both at the park level and larger
watershed level. For reference, the following graphic illustrates the
extent to which existing ponds and wetlands have been expanded as
represented on the vision master plan shown on page 10.
The blue areas represent expanded ponding relative to existing ponding and wetland areas. Note that the final shape
and size of ponds will be determined during the detailed master plan phase of the project.
COST PROJECTIONS FOR
REPURPOSING SITE
The forthcoming cost projections provide a range of potential costs
associated with repurposing the site from a golf course to a community
park. The projections are based on a combination of site-specific
development issues and professional judgments based on developments
of similar characteristics. The projections are based on 2014 dollars,
which will require inflation adjustments over time. (Also note that
2014 was a volatile year in project bidding for similar work (i.e., bids
have been coming in higher than expected), with a fair amount of
uncertainty remaining in the marketplace going forward.)
At the vision master plan level, the level of plan detail combined with
market uncertainties pose inherent limitations in projecting potential
costs. The intended use of the cost projections is to aid the City in
developing an overall funding and implementation strategy, including:
• Defining the magnitude of the investment needed to develop the
park
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 26
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
• Comparing the relative cost of a basic level of development with
that of a more robust approach that more fully achieves the vision
as set forth in this plan
• Prioritizing and budgeting for capital improvement program
COST ESTIMATING CATEGORIES
For budgeting purposes, the cost estimate is broken down into
categories. Several categories are associated with city-funded
development, and several categories relate to work completed by
others or the city acting in partnership with others. Others include the
Pentagon Park developers, Three Rivers Park District, and Nine Mile
Creek Watershed District.
City-funded development categories include:
• Baseline park development package — includes the core elements
of repurposing the park from a golf course to a community park;
generally, this includes the community activities and events area,
adventure play area, and basic field games area; open parkland area
development is limited to trails and a limited palette of other site
amenities, such as sitting areas
• Open parkland area enhancements package — includes the
major development elements in this area, such as the promenades,
boardwalks, developed activity nodes, art and sculpture, etc.; also
includes some enhancements to the community activities area
• Field games area enhancements package — includes upgrading
the fields from topsoil surfacing to sand-based fields and related
elements, such as underdrainage
Partnership or by-others funded categories include:
• Parkway package — includes the roadway and related streetscape
elements; the presumption is that the Pentagon Park developer will
be the lead and primarily responsible for this work
• Regional trail package — includes the regional trail and related
development; the presumption is Three Rivers Park District will be
the lead and responsible for this work
• Pond expansion, stormwater management, and water quality
improvements package — includes expanding ponds and related;
City may be responsible for costs, but as part of a larger Nine Mile
Creek watershed planning strategy
COST ESTIMATE RANGES
The following summarizes the cost ranges associated with each to the
listed categories. Cost ranges are provided due to pricing and quantity
variabilities associated with this level of planning. Cost ranges include
15% add-on for testing, design and survey fees, along with 2% for
geotechnical testing and permitting.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 27
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
City-Funded Development Categories:
Baseline development park package $2,966,000 to $3,559,000
Open parkland area enhancements package $2,897,000 to $3,476,000
Field games area enhancements package $ 713,000 to $ 855,000
Total $6,576,000 to $7,890,000
Costs associated with partnership or by-others funded categories are
more broadly considered since others play a lead or partnership role
in developing design solutions. For planning context, it is expected
that the parkway package will be in the $2 million plus range. The
regional trail package will be in the $500,000 plus range (although this
will be highly influenced by the need for bridges and dealing with soil
conditions).
Pond expansion, stormwater management, and water quality
improvements package is highly variable and dependent on overall
size of the ponding expansion. For budgeting purposes, $1 million is a
reasonable starting point, with many factors influencing the final costs
for this type of work.
Also note that setting aside a 10% to 20% cost contingency is
recorrnnended for each of the above categories to guard against
unknowns in final design outcomes and changes in the bidding
environment at the point of development.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 28
Fred Richards Stakeholders
Dan Erhardt Cedars of Edina
Community
Manager
Kim Hoffman Parklawn Home
Community
Manager
Brittney Martinez Edina Park Apts
Community
Manager
Cliff Akins Premier Properties Property Manager
Lois Wagner Heatherton Condos
Resident/Condo
Board Member
Christine Nelson Parklawn Condos
Resident/Condo
Board Member
Peter Choukalas
Lake Edina
Association Resident
Steve Curry South Cornelia Resident
Art Terwilliger South Cornelia Resident
Angel Luther South Cornelia Resident
Sarah Lenhardt South Cornelia Resident
Elizabeth Ogren
Pedal & Roll for
Parkinsons Resident
Derek Johnson South Cornelia Resident
Kevin Duban Burgundy Apts Resident
Marie Sullivan South Cornelia Resident
David Hellerman South Cornelia ResidentSouth Cornelia/Lake EdinaParklawn Neighborhood
Maria Erickson Cradle Club Director
Kristina Smitten
Hillcrest/
The Link
Sustainability
Director
Scott Tankenhoff
Hillcrest/
The Link
Western Life
Insurance
Edina HS
Cornelia
Elementary
Boe Carlsom
Three Rivers Park
District
Randy Anhorn
Nine Mile Creed
Watershed District
District
Adminstrator
Dawn Martin Edina Soccer Club
Sally Arndt Edina Lacrosse
Shane Stumm
Edina Soccer
Association
Mary Kuehl
Edina Girls Athletic
Assocation
Gary Wells Public Works
Brian Olson Public Works Director
Dave Goergen Public Works
Ross Bintner Engineering
Engineering
Services Manager
Jessica Wilson Engineering Water Resources
Tara Brown Admin Sustainability
Tom Swenson Pars and Rec
Braemar Golf
CourseCity Staff TeamBusinessesCommunity Groups/OrganizationsSchools
Mark Nolan Engineering
Brian Driste Public Works
Bill Neuendorf Admin
Economic
Developer
Bob Prestrud Park Maintenance
Eric Boettcher Park and Recreation
Recreation
Supervisor
Susan Faus Park and Recreation Assistant Director
Ann Kattreh Park and Recreation Director
Scott Neal Admin City Manager
Tom Shirley Park and Recreation
Centennial Lakes
Manager
MJ Lamon Admin
Project
Coordinator
Park BoardCity Council
Date Event/Meeting Location Time Set-Up Attending 8 Winter Party Parklawn AptsCity, ?15 Winter Party Edina ParkCity, ?10 Printed Materials Premier Properties- City Council/ PB = 12? Winter Party Cedars of EdinaCity, ? Community =10 Breakfast with Santa Braemar Golf Course 9:00 AMStaff =14 Park Board Workshop Edina City Hall 6:00PMConf./ Dreambox Staff =17 Santa Land Braemar Arena 10:30 AMBusinesses = 31 New Year's Party EP 5:00 - 8:00 PMPop ups = 4 City Council Work Session Edina City Hall 5:30 PM Conf./ Dreambox8 Winter Ice Festival Centennial Lakes 1:00 - 5:00 PMNeighborhood Meeting Cedars of Edina 7:00 - 8:00 PMNeighborhood Meeting Parklawn Apts 7:00 - 8:00 PMNeighborhood Meeting Cornelia Elementary 7:00 - 8:00 PM Conf./ Dreambox4 Park Board Meeting Edina City Hall 7:00 PM**Some listed are opportunites but have not been decided.MayDecemberJanuaryFebruaryMarchApril
Summary of October 2016 Park Board Brainstorming on Lesson Learned
Keep Doing –
• Keep improving the website
• Continue to work on marketing efforts and communication; critically
important
• Keep working to engage more with the community in finding unique and
creative ways to do that
• Continue to hold meetings at other venues and initiate site visits
• Continue focusing on their work items
• Keep meetings to 2 hours
• Keep getting updates from consultants/owners of projects in addition to
staff updates
Start Doing –
• Improve the prioritization process with the City Council so there may be a
little deeper and robust conversation; meeting outside their normal meeting
• Start a “Friends of the Park” concept; how can they potentially
operationalize that and give people an opportunity to do it
• Visit site locations
• Start building connections with board members assigned to particular
parks; either individuals or in small groups take ownership of some degree
to four or five parks throughout the year to visit and report back with what
they might see, etc.
• Incorporate key metrics into work plans and reports; identify key data such
as the age of the kids surrounding a certain park because that data should
be considered as decisions are made
• Start socializing and visiting parks; include council members for tours and
have talking points and key initiatives to go through
• Establish an annual calendar of what’s going to happen each month at the
meetings; what is the formal process to add an item to the agenda
• Have more accountability from other departments we rely heavily on such
as communications and park maintenance; sometimes things owned by
other departments that do not go well can reflect poorly on the Park Board
and Parks & Recreation Department
Stop Doing –
• Stop counting on only board meetings for attendance; start counting other
projects/engagements towards attendance and maybe have a point system
of some type
• Do not need a School Board liaison Park Board Member; do not see a
connection or value for it
• Stop having all works plan items tied to staff capacity; start moving forward
on more items without having to wait for staff to have time
Date: December 13, 2016
To: City Council Members
From: Brenda McCormick, Chair Park Board
Subject: Request to Eliminate School Board Representative on Park Board
Action Requested:
For the upcoming 2017 appointments, the park board members
recommend to permanently eliminate the requirement for school
board representation on park board
Situation:
At our October 2016 meeting, the park board members met in
small groups to reflect on the past year. They were asked to
comment on what went well and what could improve. One
group suggested that we eliminate the school board member
requirement and open the seat to a community member. The
rest of the members concurred.
Many times the park board meetings conflict with other
commitments of the School Board; there are occasions that the
rep is late or doesn’t attend. In addition, we do not see the
School Board representative providing additional insight to the
board’s decision making based on the school board agenda.
Moreover, the school board representative does not actively
engaged in work plan initiatives, putting more work on the other
park board members.
Background:
This has been the practice for over 35 years. There are no other
communities in the metro area that have school board members on
their park board. It is a very uncommon practice. We don’t see the
value of this representation vs appointing another resident of the City
Council’s choosing. City and School District staff meets monthly to
discuss partnership opportunities, issues and concerns. When we’ve
had issues that directly relate to the school district (i.e. Grandview or
Braemar Winter Recreation), we received no input or feedback from the
school board representative.
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Assessment:
Although the intent of the School Board representative is to
provide insight into the School Board agenda and the impact on
our city parks and vice-a-versa we have not found that happening
in practice. We believe this seat would be better or at least
equally served by a member of the community.
Recommendation:
The park board unanimously recommends that going forward the
park board seat currently occupied by a member of the school
board be redeployed and served by a member of the community.
City Council Updates
By Scott Neal
November 15, 2016
• Nothing to Report
December 6, 2016
• Approved the 2017 Park Board Work Plan
• Approved the Resolution for approving the 2017 Parks & Recreation fees for 2017
• Recognized the Minnesota Recreation & Park Association Award of Excellence for
Braemar Field
• Approved the 2017 operating budget, set the 2017 tax levy and approved the 2017-2021
CIP